WNBA Nashville Board Members 2024-2026
Chapter email: [email protected]
Executive Committee:
President: Ami McConnell
Past President: Kathleen Dietz
Vice President: Lluvia Agustin
Treasurer: Allison Stewart
Secretary: Melissa Collings
Committee Chairs:
Membership: Catherine Baird Hooper
Southern Festival of Books: Libby Simons
Coffee With Authors: Jennifer Sellers
Programs, In-Person Book Club: Linda Harris
Social Media: Angela Redden
Webmaster: Nancy Dickinson
Sunshine/Hospitality: Caitlin Christman
Philanthropy Chair: Michelle Oglesby
Chapter email: [email protected]
Executive Committee:
President: Ami McConnell
Past President: Kathleen Dietz
Vice President: Lluvia Agustin
Treasurer: Allison Stewart
Secretary: Melissa Collings
Committee Chairs:
Membership: Catherine Baird Hooper
Southern Festival of Books: Libby Simons
Coffee With Authors: Jennifer Sellers
Programs, In-Person Book Club: Linda Harris
Social Media: Angela Redden
Webmaster: Nancy Dickinson
Sunshine/Hospitality: Caitlin Christman
Philanthropy Chair: Michelle Oglesby
Meet our board members
Ami McConnell, President, WriterFest founder and director Ami McConnell is an author, publishing consultant, and editor with over 20 years experience in-house at major trade book publishers. She formerly served as Editor-in-Chief and VP of Howard Books/Simon & Schuster and as an acquiring editor at HarperCollins. She has edited numerous New York Times bestsellers and award winners. She’s co-authored USA Today and WSJ bestsellers with numerous authors including celebrated singers, songwriters, social media influencers, psychologists, doctors, therapists, and film/tv actors. She lives in the Nashville area with her family.
Follow Ami on her podcast, WriterFest with Ami McConnell, on Instagram @amimcconnellwrites or on Facebook here, or at amimcconnell.com
Follow Ami on her podcast, WriterFest with Ami McConnell, on Instagram @amimcconnellwrites or on Facebook here, or at amimcconnell.com
Kathleen Dietz, Past President: Carolyn Wilson got me involved with WNBA when I was a library rep for Baker & Taylor. Being a rep in the field limited the time that I could volunteer for WNBA; however, I was thrilled to share with everyone information about our organization. I have served as president (2001-2003), vice president, program chair, and membership. Additional volunteer activities with WNBA included working with Humanities Tennessee to coordinate transportation for authors appearing at Southern Festival and managing the author signing area at SFB from 2008-2013.
Baker & Taylor, Thomas Nelson Publishers and HarperCollins Christian Publishing have been the primary employers during my career. All three provided unique opportunities to travel. I was a library rep for Baker & Taylor calling on librarians and independent booksellers in Arkansas, Florida and Tennessee. I eventually became a key account rep working with national and regional book chains. Thomas Nelson/HCCP introduced me to international sales, allowed me to learn about selling subsidiary rights for the books we published, dabble in special markets and finally create a program for libraries. I retired from Thomas Nelson/HarperCollins December 31, 2020.
In addition to my passion for books, my husband and I have enjoyed being canine parents to three Golden Retrievers and three German Shepherds. Lizzie, a Golden Retriever, is our current canine baby. She still sees herself as a puppy and eagerly runs to greet our neighbors and workmen when walking the neighborhood. I can spend hours sharing stories about the adventures of our canine critters.
Baker & Taylor, Thomas Nelson Publishers and HarperCollins Christian Publishing have been the primary employers during my career. All three provided unique opportunities to travel. I was a library rep for Baker & Taylor calling on librarians and independent booksellers in Arkansas, Florida and Tennessee. I eventually became a key account rep working with national and regional book chains. Thomas Nelson/HCCP introduced me to international sales, allowed me to learn about selling subsidiary rights for the books we published, dabble in special markets and finally create a program for libraries. I retired from Thomas Nelson/HarperCollins December 31, 2020.
In addition to my passion for books, my husband and I have enjoyed being canine parents to three Golden Retrievers and three German Shepherds. Lizzie, a Golden Retriever, is our current canine baby. She still sees herself as a puppy and eagerly runs to greet our neighbors and workmen when walking the neighborhood. I can spend hours sharing stories about the adventures of our canine critters.
Lluvia Agustin, Vice-President, is the founder of The Agustin Agency, a Nashville-based literary agency that focuses on representing Hispanic authors, and international Illustrators across various genres, including fiction, non-fiction, inspirational, children's literature, business, and self-help. Their books have been published in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. In May 2022, one of the agency's titles was honored with The Harold Kregel Award by the SEPA organization. Lluvia Agustin was the senior sales director at HarperCollins Publishers for their Spanish division, where she managed domestic and international sales. Lluvia joined the WNBA in 2022, she resides in Nashville, TN, and is the mother of John Lopez and Esteban Lopez.
Allison Stewart, Treasurer, is an avid reader and lover of books and writing. She works in Information Technology and is a program manager and engineer, managing a team deploying VoIP phone systems. She enjoys supporting the arts in whatever small way she can, such as assisting with raising funds for scholarships for young writers to attend a writing workshop
Melissa Collings, Secretary, is a writer, artist, medical provider, and mother of two. Her debut novel, The False Flat (a bittersweet love story), came out June 11, 2024. In addition to writing women’s fiction and bittersweet romance, she works as a surgical physician associate and is also a functional/integrative healthcare provider. Her stories, like her, are always a mix: light and dark, laughter and tears, outlandish and grounded, beautiful and ugly, glitter and charcoal smears. Her interests are way too varied; her imagination never fails to get her into trouble; and she lives by her life philosophy: nothing is impossible, and everything is better with glitter—except surgical wounds.
Melissa Collings, Secretary, is a writer, artist, medical provider, and mother of two. Her debut novel, The False Flat (a bittersweet love story), came out June 11, 2024. In addition to writing women’s fiction and bittersweet romance, she works as a surgical physician associate and is also a functional/integrative healthcare provider. Her stories, like her, are always a mix: light and dark, laughter and tears, outlandish and grounded, beautiful and ugly, glitter and charcoal smears. Her interests are way too varied; her imagination never fails to get her into trouble; and she lives by her life philosophy: nothing is impossible, and everything is better with glitter—except surgical wounds.
Catherine B. Hooper, Membership Chair, is excited to be a part of the WNBA community. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, she writes southern-based, feel-good women’s fiction and will be publishing her debut novel in the future. Catherine is also a former communications director and event planner for Vanderbilt University where she earned a degree in creative writing.
Through the years, Catherine has volunteered for numerous nonprofits including the Junior League, the Nashville Humane Association and Oak Hill School where she managed their consignment sale for several years. She is thrilled to welcome new members to this wonderful organization and help grow its membership.
Through the years, Catherine has volunteered for numerous nonprofits including the Junior League, the Nashville Humane Association and Oak Hill School where she managed their consignment sale for several years. She is thrilled to welcome new members to this wonderful organization and help grow its membership.
Libby Simons, Southern Festival of Books Chair, has previously served on the board as Southern Festival of Books Chair, Membership Chair, and Hospitality Chair. Additional volunteer activities with WNBA included helping with Coffee with Authors and working with Humanities Tennessee at Southern Festival in the author signing area.
Libby is a retired high school guidance counselor with a love for reading. She is currently a member of three book clubs including WNBA’s club, which she has been a member of since its beginning.
Libby is a retired high school guidance counselor with a love for reading. She is currently a member of three book clubs including WNBA’s club, which she has been a member of since its beginning.
Jennifer Sellers, Coffee with Authors Chair and self appointed Romance advocate, first joined the WNBA at the Southern Festival of Books a few years ago and never looked back.
By day Jennifer teaches finance and investing to corporate employees as a Financial Wellness Specialist, a profession she ended up in completely by accident. She is also a US Navy Veteran, has worked in event management, and has a fierce passion for process management and improvement. Outside of work Jennifer wants to surround herself with people who love the written word and dreams of one day writing her own books and owning her own bookstore.
Jennifer grew up hating to read due to several learning challenges around language and comprehension, that is until she realized there were books out there for her. Now she is on a mission to normalize the taboo and un stuff the stuffy to make all books and formats as loved and accepted as the people consuming them
By day Jennifer teaches finance and investing to corporate employees as a Financial Wellness Specialist, a profession she ended up in completely by accident. She is also a US Navy Veteran, has worked in event management, and has a fierce passion for process management and improvement. Outside of work Jennifer wants to surround herself with people who love the written word and dreams of one day writing her own books and owning her own bookstore.
Jennifer grew up hating to read due to several learning challenges around language and comprehension, that is until she realized there were books out there for her. Now she is on a mission to normalize the taboo and un stuff the stuffy to make all books and formats as loved and accepted as the people consuming them
Linda Harris, Programs Chair and In-Person Book Club Chair, began her career in the publishing industry as a book buyer for a regional chain of bookstores and Walmart. From there she became a field sales representative for Little, Brown calling on independent bookstores in the mid-South.
Linda then moved her sales focus to mass merchant accounts and eventually became the Executive Director for the Mass Channel for Hachette Book Group, a leading book publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the third-largest publisher in the world.
Linda then moved her sales focus to mass merchant accounts and eventually became the Executive Director for the Mass Channel for Hachette Book Group, a leading book publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the third-largest publisher in the world.
Angela Redden, Social Media, owns a bookstore in her hometown–Dickson, Tennessee. Her belief in the power of story makes her an ardent supporter of authors. Through events, curated selections, and conversations she fosters connections necessary to build a strong literary community. She is co-host of The Way We Word Podcast. Angela is a member of the Dickson County Public Library Board of Trustees and one of the founders of Dickson's Arts, Reads, and Tunes Festival.
Nancy Dickinson, Webmaster, is a retired elementary school librarian who grew up in Nashville but moved to Florida as soon as she graduated from college. There's no place like home so she moved back to Tennessee after 20 years and then moved back to Nashville after retirement. This is her seventh year serving on the WNBA Nashville board, having been Membership Chair for four years. Nancy spends most of her time reading, volunteering, lunching with friends, and traveling when possible.
Caitlin "Cici" Christman, Sunshine/Hospitality Chair, is an avid reader, writer, and lover of books. In her day job she works with her husband as a clinical psychiatric pharmacist at the non-profit mental health and substance use clinic they founded . She has seen first-hand how impactful a book can be for a person, and is constantly recommending books to her patients. She enjoys supporting anything book related however she can, and has found a home with fellow book lovers in WNBA- Nashville.
With a successful background working in a variety of start-ups and complex established companies for over two decades, Michele Oglesby, Philanthropy Chair, has been a strategic advisor and influencer to CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business leaders from early stage to maturity with a proven record in driving profitability. As a former healthcare executive and subject matter expert, she has transformed her experience into professionally mentoring leaders to engage in growth initiatives such as revenue expansion, focused market approaches, operational efficiencies, and leadership talent development which are the foundations of building a high-growth company. She launched Willka Strategic Partners as a vehicle to share her knowledge and experience with others. Most recently, she has added author to her list of accomplishments with a children’s historical fiction picture book for young readers debuting later this year.
Job Descriptions for Executive Committee
Chapter President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
- Recruit board members. Arrange for training and assistance as needed.
- Set agenda for board meetings with input from the board and conduct regular board meetings
- Participate in bi-monthly chapter president calls with national president and other chapter presidents
- Respond to correspondence generated by website
- Send minutes and other correspondence to Columbia University at the end of each year
- Attend annual National board meeting or designate someone to attend
- Subscribe to national listserv and communicate information to chapter as needed
- Introduce and wrap up monthly programs as needed
- Provide annual report for National
- Award the Carolyn Taylor Wilson Award for volunteerism at the Holiday Dinner
- Attend board meetings
Vice President
- Conduct the business of the organization if the president is unable
- Assist the president
- Attend board meetings
Treasurer
- Receive and deposit the chapter/organization’s money
- Pay bills and work closely with Membership chair to pay National dues
- File appropriate paperwork with the IRS and meet deadlines for tax info, audit, etc.
- Conduct an annual audit
- Report financial status to the board
- Provide annual report for National
- Attend board meetings
Secretary
- Attend board meetings and take minutes
- Distribute minutes for review in a timely manner
- Finalize draft after board vote and upload to appropriate folder in shared Google Drive